Role of adenosine in adipose tissue circulation.

The vasodilatory effect of adenosine and some related compounds were studied in subcutaneous adipose tissue in situ. The effects of three drugs that inhibit adenosine elimination; two adenosine uptake blockers, dipyridamole and dilazep, the adenosine deaminase inhibitor, EHNA, were also studied. Plasma levels of adenosine were simultaneously determined by HPLC. Adenosine was a potent vasodilator and 2- and 6-substituted analogues were even more potent. Tissue blood flow was linearly related to the venous plasma concentrations of adenosine. An elevation of adenosine in plasma from 0.25 to 0.5 Mu M enhanced blood flow by approximately 50%. A further increase to 1 mu M was associated with a doubling of adipose tissue blood flow. Adenosine also increased the vascular conductance and the capillary filtration coefficient, indicating that is is active on all sections of the vascular bed. Theophylline and caffeine (30- 100 mu M in arterial plasma) antagonized the vasodilatory effect of exogenous adenosine, abolished vasodilation due to EHNA+dipyridamole and reduced resting blood flow. The results suggest that adenosine plays a physiological role in regulating adipose tissue blood flow.